More particularly the invention relates to a timepiece with an analogue essentially display, that is to say whose display means is formed by at least two hands comprising respectively an hour and a minute hand, and which may comprise, in conjunction with conventional operation modes, time-related or non time-related, an operation mode, called the alarm mode, in which, after programing, the timepiece can inform the user of the expiry of a lapse of time, by the transmission of at least one alphanumerical message.
In the application which will be described below, the operation mode called "alarm" mode means the transition to a specified unit of time, for example a meeting time, a day not to be forgotten corresponding for example to a birthday, or to a combination of units of these two time scales.
The programmed event may thus be an hour, a date or any other moment in time, which is anticipated at a precise moment, and of whose advent which one wishes to be informed by a clear message at the very moment of its advent, possibly several times, in a repetitive manner, until effective receipt of this information has been acknowledged.
Alarm time is thus understood here to mean a unit of time, without limitation, preferably programmed by the user, via special manipulation procedures.
The present invention also concerns a timepiece able to display, either in conjunction with the above-mentioned display of events or separately, information relating to the state of one of its operation modes, for example, the on or off indicators.
Conventional timepieces which enable data such as those mentioned above to be displayed, generally comprise a digital display device provided by a liquid crystal cell, whose structure enables a message in alphanumerical form to be provided, by the selection of a certain number of electrodes, structured inside the cell.
This type of liquid crystal display may be combined with an analogue hand display to provide, in addition to conventional time information, the desired alphanumerical data.
It is understood, however, that this arrangement is sophisticated and that it entails increases in the production costs of the timepieces which are equipped with it, as well as additional consumption of the power available, which is required for the creation and maintaining of the message in the cell.
Other conventional timepieces also enable information concerning states of the type mentioned above to be displayed, by the intermediary of one or more discs able to be moved, under the control of an electronic control circuit.
This arrangement is also costly as it requires installation of the disc or discs, as well as a particular cut of the dial. It also requires the provision of additional gears with corresponding power points where the driving motors are.